1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to juice extractors for extracting juice from citrus fruit for example and a mixer device for mixing the extracted juice with ingredients to make juice beverages.
2. Description of Related Art
Juice extractors are known and comprise a fluted undulating convex tapered somewhat generally cone shaped member that tapers to an apex. The member extends from a surrounding trough having a pouring spout. Citrus fruit such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruit are manually pressed against the tapered member and rotated thereagainst to ream the pulp and juice from the fruit which collects in the trough. Such extractors are typically molded thermoplastic.
Improvements to the above extractors include drive motors to rotate the reaming tapered member and other features. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,572 discloses a motor and drive gears for rotating the tapered reaming member at cyclically varying velocities. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,447, a citrus juicer includes a motor driven cone surrounded by a strainer. An annular gap is in the region between the cone and strainer and whose cross section is changed by an adjusting device to predetermine the pulp content of the juice.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,509,981, a beverage shaker includes a fluted dome and an upright body having a spout and a handle. The body terminates at the top in a wide mouth rim. The dome projects into the interior of the vessel to promote mixing when ingredients and ice are shaken. Liquid that passes into the interior of the dome drains out through an opening.
A separate part is formed with breast and neck portions. The breast portion fits over the rim. The neck receives a top. An intermediate part contains the dome. The dome depends within the wide breast portion. The intermediate part is inverted and placed in the mouth of the body so the dome is upright. The dome part is a fruit squeezer with the juice passing from the bowl formed by the inverted breast through openings into the body of the vessel. Ice or liquids may be introduced into the wide mouth upon removing of the breast. To mix the liquids and/or ice the device is manually shaken.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,563,413 discloses a shaker for mixing fruit juices with other liquids and ice. This too is a manually shaken device. U.S. Pat. No. 2,176,377 discloses a strainer and juicer for pitcher tops and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,939 discloses a wiper removably coupled to a reamer of a fruit juice extractor for rotation therewith. Means selectively adjust the height of the wiper above the surface of the juice strainer. The pulp content varies in accordance with the height of the wiper above the juice strainer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,338 discloses a citrus fruit juice extractor for attachment to a food processor. The extractor is driven by the processor motor which can not operate unless the trough-like member of the extractor is in a predetermined rotational relationship with the food processor base and container.
Other juice extractors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,309,942, 5,355,784, DE 366,984, DE 290,329 and 1,949,675, some of which include motorized extractors and containers beneath the extractor for collecting juices.
The present invention relates to a problem not addressed by the aforementioned patents. While the extractors are disclosed as including motors for rotating the reamers, any mixing of the juices in the containers thereof must be done by manual shaking and the like. The present invention is a recognition of a need for an improvement in such devices.